Child Outcomes of the Arkansas Better Chance Program in

Kindergarten and First Grade

Jason T. Hustedt, W. Steven Barnett, &

Kwanghee Jung

National Institute for Early Education Research

Rutgers University

Acknowledgements

This research is funded by the State of Arkansas and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Thanks to Leanne Whiteside-Mansell, Yvonne Bradshaw, Paul Lazenby, Tonya Russell, Ellen Frede, and Amanda Colon.

Studies of State-Funded Pre-K

• As more children are served, important to understand effects that programs produce

• Until recently, state-funded pre-K programs have not been very intensively studied

• NIEER evaluations of programs in 8 states, in partnership with local early childhood experts

• Longitudinal studies of high-quality programs in AR and NJ

Arkansas Better Chance Study

• Data from Fall 2005 the starting point for a 5-year longitudinal study continuing through Spring 2010

• Initial sample of more than 1,900 children in two cohorts

• ABC classroom data from Year 1; child assessment data annually

Classroom Measures

• Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R): Overall quality

• Support for Early Literacy Assessment (SELA): Practices that support early language and literacy

• Preschool Classroom Mathematics Inventory (PCMI): Materials/methods used to support math skills

Classroom Results (N = 68)

• Mean ECERS-R score = 5.26 of a possible 7; a score of 5 indicates good quality

• Mean SELA score = 3.28 of a possible 5; a score of 3 indicates fair/mediocre quality

• Mean PCMI score = 2.37 of a possible 5, an indication of limited quality

Child Assessment Measures

• Vocabulary knowledge: Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, 3rd Edition (PPVT-III)

• Math skills: Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, 3rd Edition, Subtests 5, 6, 10 (WJ-III)

• Early literacy: Preschool Comprehensive Test of Phonological and Print Processing (Pre-CTOPPP) or WJ-III Subtests 1, 13, 21

Child Outcomes: Vocabulary

• At K entry, ABC children scored significantly higher than non-ABC children

• At the end of K, ABC children scored significantly higher than non-ABC children in pooled analysis

• At the end of 1st grade, a non-significant trend for ABC children in Cohort 1 to score higher than non-ABC children (p = .066)

Child Outcomes: Applied Problems

• At K entry, ABC children scored significantly higher than non-ABC children

• At the end of K, no significant differences between ABC and non-ABC children

• At the end of 1st grade, a trend for ABC children in Cohort 1 to score higher than non-ABC children (p = .054)

First Grade Mathematics Measures

• ABC children scored significantly higher than non-ABC children on Calculation

• No measurable difference between ABC and non-ABC children on Math Fluency

• ABC children scored significantly higher than non-ABC children on Broad Math Battery

Child Outcomes: Early Literacy

• At K entry, ABC children scored significantly higher than non-ABC children

• At the end of K, no measurable differences

• At the end of 1st grade, ABC children in Cohort 1 scored significantly higher than non-ABC children on Letter-Word ID but not Word Attack

Interpreting the Results

• Positive impacts of ABC pre-K on vocabulary, math, and early literacy

• Comparisons with RDD results suggest that there is some selection bias in longitudinal sample

• Good overall classroom quality

Future Work

• The longitudinal study will continue until Spring 2010 (4th grade for C1, 3rd grade for C2)

• Tracking the effects of ABC over time, using measures of language, math, early literacy

• Additional data on grade retention, special education placements